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Last Minute Hanukkah Recipes

Written by: Rebecca Gold

Last Minute Hanukkah Recipes

I’ve done the math, and as it turns out, The Day Of Rest + The Celebration Of Triumphant Uprising/Religious Freedom = Ultimate Deliciousness.

Glowy candlelight does wonders for the ambiance and warmth of any dinner party. Lucky for you, Shabbat *and* Hanukkah are both candle-centric occasions. Traditional candle menorahs remain lit for only a few hours. However, oil wicks will last for the duration of your evening. Make your Shabbat Hanukkah a BYOM: Bring Your Own Menorah! Provide oil candle cups, oil, and wicks. Filling the cups with oil and cutting the wicks is a fun Crafty Moment (#CraftyMoment). A table full of flickering menorahs is the perfect centerpiece for your Shabbat meal.

Here are three recipes that you can use to honor timeless traditions and make your Hanukkah Shabbat meal exciting, modern, and memorable.

Avgolemono Soup

Hanukkah marks the triumph of the Maccabees over the Greeks. In the Jewish tradition of turning foes to friends, consider serving traditional dishes from the Jews of Salonika in Greece. Sephardic Jews emigrated to Salonica (also known as Thessaloniki) in 1492, and thereafter the city retained a vibrant Jewish population for centuries. Avgolemono, a Greco-Jewish chicken, egg and lemon soup, is at once refreshing and hearty, with bright flavors that will impress any guest. Check out this stellar recipe.

Mashed Potato Filled Latkes

A classic latke recipe is like a pair of old jeans; comfortable, dependably effective, yet decidedly unsurprising. Up your fried potato game with this modernist take on the traditional latke. I tested this last week and the results were a culinary revelation. The unique cooking method even further emphasizes the crispy exterior and mashed-potato interior that is already the hallmark of the perfect latke.

Sfenj, Moroccan Donuts

It’s hard to resist the lure of the Hanukah sufganiyah, a fried jelly-filled donut eaten in Israel. This holiday try sfenj, the holiday donut of the Moroccan Jewish community.